Hunter Lauer '44

Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 256 Location: Longview, TX

Hunter "Hap" Lauer died peacefully on April 22, 2009, surrounded by family at St. Joseph's Medical Center. He was 81.
He was born in Burlington, Vermont to then Army Captain Walter and Lily Lauer. Walter served his country well and retired as a Major General. His last post was Fort Ord and Lily began medical school before starting their family.
Because he was an Army brat, Hap attended 15 different schools in 10 different states. He became an avid horseman, fisherman, hunter and archer. Ultimately he landed in the Presidio of San Francisco where Walter had his longest posting during WWII and Hap had fond memories of horseback riding in Golden Gate Park, playing tennis and fishing in San Francisco Bay.
Hap graduated from Kemper Military School in Booneville, Missouri in 1944 before heading to Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York where he studied engineering. He received his BS degree in civil engineering from San Jose State University in 1953. He enlisted in the Army in 1946 and was selected for officer candidate school, receiving a commission at age 19. He was honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant in 1950.
In 1953, Hap joined the City of Monterey as a junior city engineer and in 1955 became the first director of Public Works for the newly incorporated city of Seaside. In 1958, Hap joined PG&E, which was to become his career until his retirement in 1987. While working for PG&E, he performed groundbreaking work in commercial lighting and cogeneration and alternative energy projects.
In 1958 Hap, by his own admission, "made the best decision of his life" and married his sweetheart, Vera. In 1959, his son Michael was born and in 1962, Elizabeth Anne was delivered.
Hap was a certified cogeneration professional, a Past President of the Illuminating Engineering Society, and Past President of Pixie Woods and the Navy League of Stockton. He served in the National Guard and the Army Reserves as well as becoming a board member of the 49er Council of the Boy Scouts of America and Scout Master of Troop 60. He was a member of the San Joaquin Historic Society Museum, SIRS Branch 46, Junior Achievement, Monterey Archery Club, Lodi Bowman, Mended Hearts and the San Joaquin Sister Pia Cancer Society.
Besides Vera, his loving wife of 50 years, survivors include his son, Michael Lauer and his wife, Denise of Salt Lake City, Utah; his daughter, Beth Cort and her husband, Dan Cort of Pacific Grove, California; and his grandson, Joshua Cort, as well as two step-grandchildren, Zachary Cort and Jessica DiBiase whom he loved as his own. He is also survived by his niece, Holly Still of Menlo Park, CA.
A celebration of Hap's life will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the Lauer home in Stockton. Donations in his memory may be made to Pixie Woods Board, Inc., P.O. Box 4622, Stockton, CA 95204. Pixie Woods is a lovely children's park of which Hap was very fond.

Published in the Monterey Herald on 5/8/2009